Published in Chemistry World, 24 May 2011
Chemists in the US have created a water purifier that can remove organic toxins without the addition of acids or other harmful chemicals. The device, which uses two highly porous membranes to generate purifying hydroxyl radicals, could help to provide clean drinking water for the developed and developing world.
Providing safe drinking water is one of the top priorities for scientists working on humanitarian projects, and one particular problem is the contamination of groundwater aquifers with toxic organic compounds. Even in the US, two-thirds of all hazardous waste sites are contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE), which is potentially carcinogenic. TCE, together with 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) – once used as a pesticide and fungicide – is responsible for drinking-water contamination in much of the world. […]
The rest of this article is available here.